As aspiring architect Kyle, Evans plays the ringleader of a group of students who take a stand against allowing the results of one test to determine their future. According to director Brian Robbins ("Varsity Blues"), finding the right actor to play the role of the criminal mastermind was their greatest casting challenge. Robbins says his choice of Chris Evans had to do with his personality, and not his looks. "Chris really comes across as an all-around nice guy, with peers who look up to him. He was perfect for the role, projecting a take-charge attitude, but still showing a sensitivity," observes Robbins.
INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS EVANS ('Kyle'):
So what did you get on the SATs?
I got an 1180. That’s not bad. I wasn’t exactly an academic kid.
Have you ever cheated on a test?
Oh yeah. Who hasn’t cheated? Everyone has cheated – don’t lie (laughing).
Did you get caught?
No, no, no, no. I’m a good cheater.
And look where it got you.
(Laughing) See that? That’s the moral, "Cheating pays."
Every character in this movie has a unique trait that sets them apart. In real life, what would you say is yours?
What is my unique trait? God, that’s a horrible question to ask. I have no idea how to answer that and not sound like a complete jackass. I don’t know that I have a unique trait. Maybe that’s my unique trait – that I don’t have one.
Do you think in real life, people usually have one defining trait?
Yeah, sure. Those people are the people I wish I was like. I’m not that cool. Those guys are usually the cool guys. I’m not like that. I’m very vanilla.
Is it tough to make a teen movie after making fun of them so much in “Not Another Teen Movie?”
No, no.
Will there be another “Another Teen Movie?”
You mean a sequel? No, I don’t think so. Actually I know so. No, there definitely won’t be.
What’s Brian Robbins like as a director?
He’s awesome. He knows exactly what he wants, he knows exactly how to get it. He just has a vibe that just kind of infects everyone. It kind of bleeds into your cast and crew. If the director is calm and polite and generally a cool guy, it makes the set a really wonderful place to be. That’s what made this film like summer camp.
What kind of conversations did you have about the film’s values and what it would say to teens?
That’s a good question. I don’t know that we conversed about it much. I think it was just kind of a known concept that this is a good film, it’s going to have a good moral message. I really think it’s going to relieve a lot of pressure for a lot of kids who really take this test too seriously.
So they’ll be no worries about copycats?
People actually trying to steal the test? You could never do it. I mean, this is a movie. We get away with murder in this movie (laughing). You could never steal that damn test. It’s a movie. There’s one character, Scarlett, whose father owns the building so we miraculously get a lot of things that we would otherwise not have.
How was working with Matthew Lillard? Was it tough to keep a straight face?
He’s great, man. Yeah, it is because you never know what he’s going to do. He’s like the king of improv, so every take is something new. The written scene will be over and he’ll just keep going, and the director would just let him go. He’s so funny. It’s guaranteed there’s something new, and it’s guaranteed there’s something humorous.
Did you and Erika Christensen approach acting in a different way?
I think everyone approaches acting differently. There’s no way to really understand how someone else acts. It’s just your own language. But she’s great. She’s just a pro. She nails it every time.
In the scene in the coffee house, it seems like you and Scarlett Johansson’s character are going to get together. Was there another plot line that didn’t make it into the movie?
I really like that scene. I don’t even know. I saw the movie again with a bunch of my buddies. They are all left and they’re like, “Dude, I thought you were going to be with Scarlett. What was that scene all about?” I had never even really looked at it that way because originally that scene was just supposed to be Scarlett showing a softer side and me, I don’t know, caring (laughing). It wasn’t meant to be a romantic thing. I don’t know.
Can you remember anything funny that happened on the set and cracked everyone up?
Anything Darius Miles did. He’s got the thick St. Louis accent. He’s not an actor so it was just like a big joke to him. It was like a big game. So everything this guy did was just hysterical.
Continue to Page 2 for More with Chris Evans
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